But I Smile Anyway…

February. That month, for me, of birthdays. Oh, so many birthdays, meals out and cake! And Romance, obviously. Plus the added bonus of our February half term where I read loads.

My plan was to, aside from any arcs, go for love stories in any form; cosy, spicy, second chance, whatever. It ended up being a whole load of ARCs, but all with some level of romance attached (apart from one).

So, I read 13 books – And most were arcs ready for blog tours!

Slow Burn Summer: A Novel by Josie Silver
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve loved previous Josie Silver books, so was excited to read this one, too.
Slow Burn Summer is exactly that. A slow burn romance, that has us as readers simmering throughout, as well as the characters!
Kate is reeling from a recent divorce and trying to find her feet again. Her daughter is at university, her ex living in what was their family home with his new partner, and Kate is in a flat belonging to her sister, attempting to make sense of her new life.
She bites the bullet and contacts her old agent, from before she got married, twenty years ago, in the hope that she can rekindle her acting career as a means to an end, and finds herself with a most unexpected role. That of an author. Specifically, she is to act as the author of a book she hasn’t written because the actual author doesn’t want to have their already famous name associated with this particular story.
Oh, and her agent? He’s not the person she started out with, two decades previously, the flamboyant Jojo Fernandes. Instead he is working with Charlie Fernandes, his son. And a rather lovely looking, decent kind of man!
Without going into detail, Kate’s life is a rollercoaster as the publication day arrives and the popularity of the novel soars.
She needs all the support she can get, and her sister is one amazing character, a real momma bear, who wonn’t let anyone hurt her sister. And, of course, Charlie…
There’s a lot that goes on, and it makes for a very entertaining read, and the slow burn is brilliantly done. A fantastic summer read!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for an ARC.

Releasing 19th June, 2025

A Thread of Light by Neema Shah
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As a British-born Indian with Kenyan-born Indian parents, I am always drawn to stories that relate to my home country and the Commonwealth countries, and the premise of this novel really piqued my interest.
I enjoy reading WW2-related stories, but I have never read one that focuses on Indians in Britain. This book shone a light on a part of the war era that I wasn’t even aware of.
The story centres around Ruby, an air raid warden, and Kitty, a lawyer. Both have connections to India.
Ruby is half Indian but has never made this public knowledge, and hasn’t had to as she favours her English mother in looks, rather than her Indian father.
Hindu Kitty moved to England with her Muslim husband from Bombay after defying her family and marrying out of her religion.
Their stories collide when Ruby finds herself drawn to the India Forum and begins attending meetings where Indians in England are supporting their home country by continuing to campaign for India’s independence from the British Empire. Kitty is already a member of the group, however she doesn’t trust the stranger in their midst, who doesn’t look like them.
I know it is fictional, but it has highlighted a situation that I was unaware of, and I feel compelled to learn more. The occupation of India, and the subsequent independence and partition are such sore topics, right to this day, and the mode of story is just one way to educate those who don’t know.
A passionately told story featuring prejudices, love, suspicion, trust, and the questioning of loyalties.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for an ARC.

Releasing 10th July, 2025

Needy Little Things by Channelle Desamours
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gotta love a YA psychological thriller!
Sariyah, our FMC is a girl with a bit of a special power. Somehow she can sense the ‘needs’ of people around her, except those she is very close to.
It can be deafening, hearing random things in her mind, as she walks around crowds.
She does her best to help, but it can get overwhelming.
She and her friends are suddenly caught up in a missing person case, when one of their friends disappears at a music festival.
Sariyah’s life turns upside down as they try to find out what happened to Deja, especially as she lost her best friend, as a missing person, never found, a few years previously.
What is interesting, on top of all the twists and turns, which are 100% page-turning, is the theme of how a white girl’s disappearance and a black girl’s disappearance are treated. Social media traction, hashtags, news going viral…
And, I was NOT expecting that ending!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an ARC.

Released 13th February, 2025

What Happens in Paradise by Olivia Spring
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve not read the first in this series and it did not detract from the enjoyment of the book, at all.
The Love Hotel in Spain is a boutique affair where singletons apply and are matched to holiday with a person who should be their perfect partner. Jasmine is one of the guest relations managers, and very good at her job. Alejandro is the sous chef, who also happens to be rather gorgeous.
One rule of the hotel is no relationships between co-workers. But there are sparks between these two that they both try hard to ignore.
Until they get sent on a work trip to Jamaica!
Sun, sand… you know what the menu holds.
The story simmers throughout as both parties try their hardest to stay professional, but boy, when the sparks fly, they are HOT!
Though, will what happens in paradise stay in paradise?
Both characters are damaged in their own way and have to learn to overcome their own flaws (which may only be flaws in their eyes) to even accept that another person would be attracted to them.
I really enjoyed this book. A light-hearted read with a huge heap of spice!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

Released 14th February, 2025

Blog Tour Review in March!

The Love We Found by Jill Santopolo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A tragic love story.
Lucy is still somewhat in mourning after losing her great love, Gabe, ten years previously.
She finds a slip of paper in his things with an Italian address on it and finds herself on a trip of discovery to find out more about who lives there, why they were important to Gabe, and to finally put his ghost to rest, so she can get on with her life.
Lucy meets Dr Dax in Italy and finds her self drawn to him and some deep sadness within him.
There is the matter of being a divorced mum of 3, with a tremendous secret hanging over the family, that could make or break many relationships.
Lucy has a lot to deal with, not least the fall out of that secret becoming known, as well as navigating whether she is ready to move on, somehow, or whether she doesn’t deserve any more happiness.
It was heartbreaking but equally beautiful to read.
I’ve not read the first book The Love We Lost, but I could read The Love We Found with no issue.s I do, however, now want to read the first book to understand a bit more about how the whole situation arose!
Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ Publishing for an ARC.

Releasing 18th March, 2025

Releasing 23rd March, 2025 – Blog Tour post to follow!

Releasing in April, and yes, another Blog Tour review from me then!

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Every one of Emily Henry’s books captivates me in different ways, and Great Big Beautiful Life was just simply amazing!
There is Grumpy/Sunshine in the mix, but so, SO much more in the story.
Alice is a journalist who has finally been given a chance to stretch her writing muscles on a story that is close to her heart.
Hayden is a Pulitzer prize willing writer looking to fill the gap he’s feeling after writing a biography that took his whole being to write.
She’s full of the light of life, finding the silver linings in all situations.
He’s – well – grump. Unapproachable, gruff, rude. And hot.
The story finds both of them competing in a month-long interview to see who will be granted permission to write the biography for Margaret Ives, the infamous, reclusive heiress to the tabloid conglomerate built by the Ives family.
The story is mostly told from Alice’s POV, with a subtle dual timeline that takes us back to Margaret’s past. We learn so much about all three main characters, and in between, the simmering chemistry between Alice and Hayden bubbles along in true Henry style.
There is love, loss, grief, tragedy, scandal, and an unexpected twist at the end, which brings about pain and healing all at once.
I LOVED this book.
I think this might be her best, yet, and my favourite Emily Henry read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for an ARC.

Publishing 22nd April, 2025

Releasing 9th March, 2025. Blog tour in March!

The Orphans by Fiona McIntosh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve not read any Fiona McIntosh books before, and I do love a bit of historical fiction. This story, set in Australia in the early 1900s was another first for me.
Set in both the Outback and Flinders Range, as well as Adelaide, we start the story with a young 10 year old boy, Tom Catchlove, whose family lives among the sheep shearers. Suddenly losing his mum while she was in childbirth, and his father far away on a job, uncontactable, Tom is set on a fateful journey to Adelaide to her mother’s family, for a short while, where she meets a precocious young 8 year old, Fleur Appleby, the daughter of the undertaker looking after his mother.
She leaves an indelible mark on his memory, which doesn’t dull as he gets older. As does he on hers.
They meet, by chance, as adults, both in very different situations, and both orphans of a like.
Tom is the wool classes he always said he would be, and Fleur is striving to be the best mortician in Australia, and one of the first female ones.
What pursues is a love story that is achingly painful, and romantic, as well as a heart rending story as they fight the odds to be together.
I sped through this book over one day. Beautifully written.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an ARC.

Publishing 21st March, 2025

Best Summer Ever by Heidi Swain
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you’re looking for a feel good, light summer read, then you won’t go wrong with a Heidi Swain story, and Best Summer Ever is a great choice.
Daisy is back home after a breakup with her cheating partner. She’s looking forward to a chance to reset her batteries, but not looking forward to the grilling she’ll get from her parents, having lost yet another job, and now the boyfriend they thought was the bees knees.
Before even getting home, she encounters Josh, a rather hot American tourist, several times in increasingly embarrassing situations as she reaches the Norfolk village of Wynmouth, near her childhood home.
What follows is a series of events that eventually brings Daisy back to the job she always dreamed of, but was advised against, as well as a summer fling that may be so much more.
Wynbrook Manor, the only home Daisy has ever known, is wonderfully picturesque. Its owner, Algy, is a wonderful character. He is Daisy’s surrogate grandfather, who only wants the best for her and hides his own grief.
Daisy has a wonderful cast of side characters of her childhood friends, too, who help to carry the story along, as well as a little drama of their own to add a little more flavour.
There are (not so) little secrets that all come together to a very satisfying ending,
And I cannot forget little Luna the cat who has her own starring role!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an ARC.

Releasing 24th April, 2025

The Midnight Secret by Karen Swan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have followed this series with great interest over the last few years, and I was so thankful to receive this ARC.
We are back to visit the characters of the Wild Isles series, and this time, the story begins with the POV of Jayne, a woman who can foresee certain events. She’s married to Norman, a nasty piece of work, but she doesn’t have the strength to fight back in any way.
What she witnesses during her last night on St. Kilda is something she doesn’t realise will be significant until further on in the story.
Through this book, we follow Effie, Mhairi, and Flora, key characters in the first three books, and each is left with loose ends that are slowly tied up through The Midnight Secret.
As the book progresses, we visit Canada, different parts of the Highlands, and a return to St Kilda.
The stories of the fictional St Kildan community leading up to the catalyst that finds them leaving their beloved island and all they know and following them as they try to settle on the Scottish Mainland were beautifully crafted.
The entire series is just amazing. Karen Swan made me care about every character, and their stories unfolded unforgettably, so each addition to the series enhanced the previous book.
I hope we will see more series in this vein from the author.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for an ARC.

Releasing 29th April, 2025

So, tell me what you have been reading, and what caught your eye from the above!

And so it begins, doesn’t it? A new year means a new Goodreads challenge and lots of lovely books to read.

One thing I know for sure is that I am not making any big promises.

I won’t say no arcs because I know myself. I won’t say only my TBR books because I know that won’t happen!

I’ll just enjoy the stories that come to me, and let you know what I think!

So, I read 13 books – unlucky for some, but not for me! Lots of lovely stories. Some to be released, some from my TBR, and lots for blog tours! (I went a bit mad saying yes to things before Christmas!)

A February Blog Tour Review

A February Blog Tour and Book and a Brew appearance!

What If I Never Get Over You by Paige Toon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read Seven Summers last year, and knew Paige Toon was one of those authors who would hook me with pretty much whatever she wrote.
What If I Never Get Over You absolutely hooked me, reeling me in so much that I read the whole book in a day!
Set in three parts, the story is told by Ellie. We start a few years previously, where she is nearing the end of what should have been an adventure of a lifetime, inter-railling around Europe. Only circumstances are much sadder than she expected. As she gets ready to finish the trip, and plod into the family business, continuing to bow to the demands of her parents, she meets Ash, a young Welsh guy, who has the free soul she years to have, too. And he’s hot.
Fighting attraction is always tough, especially in these circumstances, but they forge a connection through shared situations and mutual attraction.
Only plans don’t always work out.
After losing touch, the second part shows Elli happy in her new life. She’s not totally forgotten Ash, having taken some of his life advice, and is forging ahead with her dream job as a gardener. Ash comes bounding back into her life unexpectedly, causing turmoil and even more attraction.
The third part jumps ahead again, drawing the story to a rocky, but ultimately heartwarming conclusion.
Oh goodness, I loved this, so much!
The book explores many themes, including grief, dealing with parental expectations, conforming to societal norms, and not feeling good enough.
Was the conclusion a surprise? Not really, but that’s not a bad thing. There are many rocky moments before we reach that point of satisfaction!
A very good read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House, Cornerstone for an ARC.

Publishing 10th April, 2025

My Heart Sings Your Song by Saz Vora
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It is a beautiful romance laced with Gujerati culture, set in 1980s Britain, specifically the Midlands.
Reena is from a simple Gujerati family and attends Warwick University. Her father is unhappy that she is leaving home, but she has hopes and dreams.
She literally bumps into Nikesh, a rich boy from a London-based Gujerati family, and though there are sparks, she tries to ignore them because nothing can come of their union.
However, Nikesh never relents in his efforts. So we follow the next few years of their tumultuous relationship as they overcome certain social taboos, meet each other’s families, and face difficulties laced with spice from their cultural backgrounds while living the life of Western-brought-up young people.
Nikesh and Reena have their own familial burdens to carry, as well as the cultural expectations and these provide the barriers they have to overcome to be together.
This book caught my attention from the off, as I am a Midlands girl, myself, and British Asian, so there are many parallels I could identify with. I am a little younger than the MCs, but I could understand the pull of independence and university life, that covert relationship status, and the disapproval of certain family members.
I recognised and loved reading about specific locations, such as Leicester, certain roads and shops, and even Warwick University, which I visited as a schoolgirl on various trips.
Reading about Nikesh’s aunt, and her obsession with astrology, following her Guru blindly, felt very accurate. There are still folk who allow their lives to be governed by the words of soothsayers, and this is not always for the better.
A wonderfully written story with huge elements that were relatable and many topics covered would speak to readers of a particular demographic and educate those from others.

Where Have We Come by Saz Vora
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I began to read this book straight after the first in the series, My Heart Sings Your Song, to follow the journey of Reena and Nikesh, a British Gujerati couple who, against many odds, have come together in marriage and are now at the next stage of their relationship, becoming parents.
Whereas the first book was a romance with cultural threads, this story is much more hard-hitting, as it has a tragic theme.
There is a love story within, but it is not lighthearted.
Reena and Nikesh are blessed with a beautiful son, Amar, but it becomes apparent that Amar has enormous difficulties and a limited lifespan.
As the story develops, we see how the support of family and friends can help a couple through tough times and how these challenging times can affect the couple themselves.
Again, there is the cultural theme of astrology, and some families blindly follow the words of their Guru, hoping to reverse whatever ‘bad luck’ has befallen the family. However, there is also the stigma of what previous readings have shown and how that affects relationships.
There is sadness, but there is hope, and love does win, after all.
With the author threading her personal experiences of having a profoundly disabled child through the story, this is deeply emotional. And so many of these situations are relatable. Taboos surrounding infertility and loss, are still here, and echo the sentiments in this book, though the time of the story is decades before the present.

Whenever You’re Ready by Rachel Runya Katz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m not quite sure where to place this book, if someone were to ask me to pinpoint a genre.
There are so many elements to it.
Yes, it’s a sapphic romance, but that’s not the entirety of it.
There is friendship, loss and grief, discovery and some pretty tough cultural topics raised throughout.
Jade and Nia are two-thirds of a friendship group. Three years previously, the third friend, Michal, died after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. There were things left undone and unsaid at the time, and misunderstandings, along with grief, meant their friendship fractured.
With the help of letters written by Michal before she died, the two friends, along with Jonah, Jade’s twin brother and boyfriend of Michal, embark upon a painful but ultimately eye-opening road trip that had been planned by the three friends way before.
They explore their Jewish heritage and learn disturbing facts about their ancestor’s history, facts that were never taught in school.
Because of their mixed heritage backgrounds, they encounter other barriers.
And then, there is the elephant in the room. Unspoken feelings that have not been discussed.
It was an education, an emotional ride and a good read all in one.

Anyone But Him by Ronali Collings
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed Ronali Collings’s first book, so I was eager to read this second offering, and it did not disappoint.
Ingrid is a woman in her 40s, trapped in a loveless marriage with an absent husband, a young daughter and a mother with very high expectations. She works hard to keep her family in the manner they are accustomed to until her husband reappears, having had the ultimate midlife crisis, and asks for a divorce.
The story follows Ingrid, who is shell-shocked by the request. However, as she processes what her new life will look like, she discovers more about her character and realises she needs to change, not just in her personal life but also in her work life.
And some of those changes aren’t looked upon favourably by certain members of her family and community.
It is a journey of change and development for more than one throughout.
And there is romance. It is an age-gap romance, and seeing as how much of a nasty character her husband is, Jacob is the knight in shining armour. He’s hot, caring, considerate, hot, and good with her daughter and family. Did I mention hot?!
Idealistic? Maybe. But then again, why do we read stories? For the happy ending, and I definitely felt the feel-good factor once I finished this.
Releasing 11th February, 2025

Blog tour review in Feb for this one!

The Love Intervention by Caroline Khoury
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not a love triangle, but a love SQUARE in this one!
Laila is a clinical scientist, and she has been working hard to secure a promotion at work, putting in the hours, as well as looking after her mother, who suffered a fall and is incapacitated.
Things take a downturn at work at the same time as her two closest friends decide to stage a Love Intervention for their friend, knowing that relationships are very low on her priority list.
Laila finds herself on a trip to the US and beyond, under the guise of work, to meet three men from her past, to see if they might just be her one, but things are never that simple, are they?
I did enjoy the story, though not sure that planning to meet and possibly hook up with three different men, knowing there may be emotions attached, was the best play, however I know which of the three was my favourite from the off, and Laila definitely has fun as she meets each one, with a bit of sizzle and spice (And sometimes a lot!) included.
There are different factors in Laila’s past, including her estranged father and her mother, who won’t talk openly about many things, given her background, that also come up during the trip, just to add some more seasoning to an already spicy story!
An easy, fun read.
Many thanks to Canelo Books for an ARC.

Releasing 13th February, 2025

Another Feb Blog Tour for this one!

The Mountains Between Us by Imogen Martin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a brilliantly written story. I loved it!
The Mountain Between Us is a story set in the gold rush era around San Francisco and California in the 1800s.
Grace Randolph and her husband, James, have just travelled far, to get to her brother’s home in Oregon hoping to settle when news comes of gold being found.
Eager to be among the first, James plans to leave to join the Argonauts already there, and Grace accompanies him, begrudgingly leaving her brothers to be with her husband.
The tale details the hardships they face along the way, the successes they savour and the tragedies.
They forge new friendships ,and unfortunately make new enemies, as well as welcoming faces of old.
During one period of hardship, Grace is left alone, with another woman and her family, as the menfolk go to find more gold to support their families, and James is captured.
It is not the story of just one woman’s bravery, but of several, in their own way, forging a path that rescues the captured men, and begins to create justice in a lawless society.
Grace is a tough woman, who I admired.
Ling Mei, a Chinese immigrant, brings her own calm and knowledge to their story.
And I did love Cora, one of a pair of French sisters, originally brought over as courtesans to work in a saloon, but who show their own strength of character as they build their own business.
I read this pretty quickly, eager to know how it ended, and I’m mighty glad that there is already a book detailing how James and Grace met, which I was unaware of.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an ARC.

Releasing 18th February, 2025

Blog tour post coming in Feb!

Blog Tour post coming in March for full review!

So, tell me what you have been reading, and what caught your eye from the above!